Back to Exponent Menu Printer Friendly Page   THE WORD Friday, November 09, 2001 Notion of heaven seems far removed from daily life BY FATHER JAMES P. WALKER 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time November 11, 2001 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14 Thessalonians 2:16 – 3: 5 Gospel of Luke 20: 27-38 The Jesus we have come to know in the Gospels was never far from controversy. Among his most ardent agitators were the Pharisees. They dogged Him through his public ministry. The Sadducees, on the other hand, were just as capable but not as well represented in Scriptures. They were legalists. They refused to believe anything that was not clearly stated in the Law. They even denied the resurrection and its afterlife because it wasn’t specifically mentioned in the Scripture. In a thwarted attempt to make the Lord appear ridiculous, the Sadducees opened the door for Jesus to address the issue of life beyond this world. Jesus’ teaching is clear: 1) The dead will rise with transformed bodies unlike the ones we possess in this physical world; 2) The resurrected will not marry and 3) The words “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6) were an indirect reference to the resurrection. In His exchange with the Sadducees, our Lord refused to play their game. Instead, He gave us a tantalizing opportunity to reflect on life as we shall experience it. For most of us the notion of heaven is far removed from our daily lives. Heaven doesn’t pay the bills or the school tuition. It doesn’t fill the prescriptions, provide health insurance, and guarantee that we’ll be on the same payroll a year from now. It doesn’t necessarily spare us from terrorists. True, there’s always a run on angels. We love them. Angels sell. Ask the merchants. But if our language were any indicator, it would seem we spend more time talking about that other place than we do heaven. When is the last time you heard someone angrily say, “Go to heaven”? Nonchalant references to hell are common. My aunt was fond of reminding people that “your hell is on earth.” She was not afraid to die because, in her own words, “nothing could be worse than what you go through in this world.” While not sophisticated in her homespun theology, she probably spoke for a lot of people. Even Dostoyevsky once wrote: “I am convinced that the only hell that exists is the inability to love.” True, he was no theologian — but there’s still truth in those words. We live in a cynical and suspicious age. Imagination, we are told, is a playground for children and a waste of good time for adults. The Youngstown Vindicator once included on its front page the words, “Without vision the people perish.” That motto has since disappeared but the truth remains. The ability to see reality beyond the purely physical is no small gift. We do not believe in hell. We acknowledge it. We believe in the Kingdom and we are called to proclaim it. We know it’s not a place. Nothing against puffy clouds, harps and polished halos, but it has to mean more than that. Today people have an insatiable desire to know more about life beyond this world and their loved ones who have gone before them. At this writing John Edward’s Crossing Over is third on the New York Times bestseller list. His syndicated show has ratings through the roof. We in the Church cannot exhaust the mystery but we can take the time to reassure others and ourselves of Christ’s vision of life. Look at our creed. The Communion of Saints, for many, is an unappreciated treasure. Maria Shriver’s little book What’s Heaven? (St. Martin’s Press) is a great example of this, and not only for children. I have even used it with hospice patients, their families, and others grieving the loss of a loved one. Heaven need not be a distraction from this world. On the contrary, it should be our source of strength. At journey’s end the light will be on, and what a wonderful light it shall be.   Back to Exponent Menu Printer Friendly Page   Other Articles of 2001   God’s love for us: eternal, unflinching, utterly consuming   Holy Family’s flight shows we are out of bondage   This Christmas, say what you mean and mean what you say   The Bible: ‘Basic Information Before Leaving Earth’   With tragedy comes opportunity for life-changing decisions   Notion of heaven seems far removed from daily life   Of hummingbirds and vultures: Two kinds of people   Home: The setting for life’s most enduring lessons   The way we think affects the way we pray   Grace is God ‘going overboard’ with love for us   Pray persistently, even when it’s less than satisfying   The Rich Man’s sin: Indifference to the poor’s plight   Faith: A gift to be lived, spent in service imitating Christ   Gospel of Luke teems with compassion of God   We help the poor, but we really don’t know them   In the Kingdom, first invitations go to outcasts   Paul’s letter to Philemon: A window to the soul   Like the prophets, we are called to pay the price   Strength, stamina in the spiritual life not the same   No need for greed to those who understand prosperity   Real security: Not in things, but in relationship with God   Can we admit that our agendas are often dispensable?   Doesn’t everyone bargain with God now and then?   In all significant relationships, ability to ‘partner’ is critical   We should recognize and celebrate goodness among the living   John the Baptist’s focus indicts our ‘urge to splurge’   Jesus refuses to ‘lower the bar’ for a disciple’s work   The notion of God: It’s all a matter of relationships   Our ‘Amen’ is a promise to daily live and die in Jesus   The Lord’s promised power: The gift of his presence   Pentecost: Preparing to share our giftedness with others   With the peace of Christ, we can forgive and let go   Staying with the familiar, venturing into the unknown   In the Bible, pay attention to what isn’t said and done   Like morning glories, the disciples opened to new possibilities   The empty tomb: Invitation to believe, not command performance   Like an old tree in our midst, God just won’t go away   The Father’s plan does not depend on our accomplishments   Lenten journey: Accepting the new, letting go of the old   Some baggage is carried in the heart, not in the suitcase   Open the door to welcome and embrace Lent, our old friend   Love freely given is hallmark of Christian witness   Survivors of life’s everyday challenges are the real heroes   The real enemy of Christ was, and remains, fear   We are the world’s rich, and we are also the poor   It’s hard to get out of a rut that we don’t recognize   Handing over control to the love, presence of God   Epiphany is at heart of Christmas, not an afterthought   God reveals ‘divine amnesia’; we carry serious responsibility   Jesus touched deepest truth: We yearn to be loved   Past Articles From 2000